LONDON // Just over 10 years ago, the hotelier from the Belgian city of Liège simply did not get it. He seemed, though, to be the only one who didn't.
It was December 31, 2001, and Europe was a continent full of as many different monetary currencies as there were countries. Well, almost.
The next day, January 1, 2002, those francs and guilders and deutschmarks were destined to disappear forever and a dozen countries were to share a brand new note. The euro.
My task was to drive through five countries (France, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg and Germany) on the last day of the old, then retrace my steps on the first day of the new, drinking a coffee in each nation on both legs of the trip.
Aside from the odd, grumpy Frenchman averse to changing anything, there seemed a genuine air of anticipation, if not quite excitement, over the prospect of a new currency uniting much of mainland Europe.
Eurotopia, I called it, and during a New Year's Eve celebration in northern France, someone even proposed a toast to the new currency and a roar of lusty assent went up.
Except the hotelier in Liège did not get it. "I am no economist," he told me over a post-dinner drink, "but I do not understand how, suddenly, we are all equals. It is like RFC Liège [a football team from Belgium's third division] playing in the same league as your Manchester United. I just do not understand how it will work."
The words were, with the benefit of hindsight, prophetic indeed, even if the hotelier's concerns centred on the chances of his own Belgium being able to hold its own in the same league as mighty Germany. The frailties of some southern Europe economies - such as Greece - were far from his mind at the time.
My reaction to his remarks had been to shrug my shoulders and smile indulgently. I did not even mention his reservations in the piece I wrote for The Daily Telegraph on the ferry home the following evening.
After all, I figured that all those politicians, civil servants, bankers and economists must have thought through the Manchester United v RFC Liège conundrum. I mean, they must have done, mustn't they?
So, instead, I shed crocodile tears for the operators of the bureaux de change at national borders, who suddenly had nothing to change for their 3 per cent commissions.
And I mused on the problems of paying for the coffee on the return trip. Though everything was meant to be in euros by then, the lady at the stall at the main railway station in Luxembourg rejected payment in marks and French francs but said she was happy to accept Belgian francs.
I blamed the banks, bemoaning the fact that it did not seem to have occurred to anyone in the 12 (now 17) countries adopting the euro that it might have been a good idea to have a few banks open to dispense the new notes on the first day they did.
By the end of the trip, I was left with what I described as "a wad of colourful notes, bearing the pictures of heroic Frenchmen, determined Germans, artistic Dutchmen and Belgians nobody could quite remember".
Except there is one Belgian I recall now as Greece implodes, Spain teeters on the brink and a new French president reckons the whole crisis is being tackled in the wrong way.
That Belgian is the one who, a decade ago, did not quite seem to get it. Or, as it has turned out, seems to be one of the very few who really did seem to get it.
dsapsted@thenational.ae
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
No.6 Collaborations Project
Ed Sheeran (Atlantic)
PROFILE
Name: Enhance Fitness
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 200
Amount raised: $3m
Investors: Global Ventures and angel investors
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
The specs: 2018 Audi RS5
Price, base: Dh359,200
Engine: 2.9L twin-turbo V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 450hp at 5,700rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 1,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (c), Chamani Senevirathne (vc), Subha Srinivasan, NIsha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Esha Oza, Ishani Senevirathne, Heena Hotchandani, Keveesha Kumari, Judith Cleetus, Chavi Bhatt, Namita D’Souza.
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
HAJJAN
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NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Brief scores:
Arsenal 4
Xhaka 25', Lacazette 55', Ramsey 79', Aubameyang 83'
Fulham 1
Kamara 69'
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4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
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Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Madjani Stakes Group 2 (PA) Dh97,500 (Dirt) 1,900m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,400m
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 2,200m
8.50pm: Dubai Creek Mile Listed (TB) Dh132,500 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (D) 1,900m
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 1,400m
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Kerb weight: 1580kg
Price: From Dh750k
On sale: via special order